This invention relates generally to egg handling equipment and particularly to an apparatus for loading eggs into cartons. More specifically, this invention relates to such egg packing apparatus which is provided with means for aligning or orienting an egg to be placed into a receptacle of an egg carton.
It is generally known in the egg processing industry that eggs have a greater storage when the eggs are packed with their small ends facing downwardly in the egg cartons. Various machines have been designed for accomplishing such a packaging. Included among those conventional packing machines are those described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,233 issued June 22, 1976 to Leslie P. Thomas and U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,898 issued Feb. 26, 1980 to Frank G. Moulds and Michael A. McCord, both also assigned to the assignee of the instant invention.
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,233, eggs are carried up an upwardly inclined conveyor which includes a plurality of rotating rollers. The rolling action of the rollers causes each egg to assume a position with its narrower or smaller end in abutment with either of a pair of walls disposed transversely to the longitudinal axes of the rollers on opposite sides of a path of travel of the egg. At the end of the conveyor a spring mounted plow or guide tongue is positioned. The plow is centrally located in relation to the pair of opposing channel walls and causes the egg to turn as it is about to travel over the top of the endless conveyor comprising the rotating rollers. The plow serves to retard the large end of the egg, thereby causing the egg to fall with its narrow end first into a retainer. The downwardly oriented egg is then dropped into a clam shell transfer device which shuttles the egg between the retainer and a receptacle in a carton or other container disposed therebelow. The clam shell moves so as to adjust the horizontal spacing between a plurality of eggs delivered into the same carton.
As described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,898, a receptacle is disposed adjacent a trailing end of an endless conveyor comprising a plurality of mutually spaced, parallel rotating rollers. Successive eggs are guided large end first into the receptacle. Upon a rotation of the receptacle, an egg located therein is turned around and assumes a position with the narrow end facing downwardly. As in U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,233, a pair of pivotably and shiftably mounted clam shell members receive the egg from the receptacle and move the egg into alignment with a receptacle of an egg carton or other container. Upon alignment, the shell members are pivoted into an opened or egg release configuration and the egg is deposited with the narrow end facing downwardly in the egg carton.
Various other orienting devices have been devised for use in conjunction with an egg loading apparatus. In general, all those other prior art systems provide a means for engaging an egg as it is being transferred from the conveyor into a packing carton or the like.
An object of the present invention is to provide an egg loading or packing apparatus with an improved means for orienting or aligning the eggs so that their narrow ends face downwardly in the receiving carton or container.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such an improved loading or packing apparatus wherein the egg transfer is accomplished reliably, easily and quickly without an unduly large number of component parts.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for loading or packing eggs into containers such as cartons wherein the method includes an improved method of orienting or aligning the eggs with their narrow ends facing downwardly.